1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved communication device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method and computer usable program code for automatically verifying and updating telephone numbers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Innovations in communications technologies have made a wide range of enhanced communications services available to a user. For example, a user may dial a telephone number at the press of a key by using speed-dialing, retrieve a telephone number for a missed call, view a telephone number of an incoming call on a display by using caller identification (caller ID), and send or retrieve a voice message by using voice mail. A communications provider often provides these services through a network such as an intelligent services network (ISN) that is privately owned but that works in conjunction with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). These services also may be offered by a dedicated device, such as a telephone with advanced electronics or a telephone answering machine, located at the user's premises.
One problem associated with communications technologies in general today is that there is no way for a calling party to automatically verify a dialed number prior to the network connecting the telephone call. After a calling party dials a telephone number, the calling party may become worried that the number dialed is incorrect or discover that the dialed number is incorrect after the call is connected. Since there is no way to verify the dialed number is correct or even currently active, the calling party must wait for the network to complete the call as dialed and then attempt to ascertain whether the dialed number is actually associated with the desired party. This process of ascertaining whether the dialed number is correct or not may be tedious and time consuming. In addition, the calling party may be responsible for paying a completed call charge to make this determination without any assurance that the dialed number is correct.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved computer implemented method and computer usable program code for automatically verifying and updating a telephone number.